Please mark your calendars.

The hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 24 at 1 p.m.

It’s a joint hearing of the Consumer Affairs, Health and Sanitation Committees on the following bills:

• Intro 57, the original bed bug bill, the bed bug task force bill, and a ban on the sale of reconditioned mattresses. This bill was previously the subject of a hearing in 2006;
• Intro 872, a mattress and furniture disposal bill—bags and stickers from the Sanitation Department; and
• Intro 873, a bed bug education bill that would create a training program for property owners and pest control operators at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and a bed bug hotline. (See also our Intro 873 page.)

It is very important for everyone to attend if we possibly can. This is the opportunity we have been waiting for, the opportunity to ensure that the New York City Council understands the bed bug issues and hears directly from us about what should be done to alleviate a problem that we—collectively, with our hard-won knowledge of bed bugs that we wouldn’t wish on anyone else—understand better than anyone else.

Come to City Hall on February 24 to let them know your stories and what you want them to do.

Let’s get this done, shall we?

We’ll give you all the necessary information about appearing and/or submitting written testimony as soon as we confirm the details.

Thank you as always for your support!  Please review the lists of committee members and if you live in their districts, please write or call urging their support.  If you have already written to your council member, this is a good opportunity to write a follow-up letter.  See the Intro 873 page for additional suggestions.

UPDATE 2/6/09:

If at all possible, please come to the hearing to show your support and/or to testify.  Testimony would be a powerful way to tell the New York City Council that bed bugs are a threat to the quality of life and health and happiness of all New Yorkers.  No advance registration is necessary to testify in person, but the committee counsel would appreciate a heads up (via email). You can sign in with the Sergeant-at-Arms when you arrive.  In general, 2-3 minutes are allowed for testimony.  You can say a lot in 2 minutes.  You can be heard.

Even if you cannot attend, you can submit written testimony via email before the date of the hearing directly to the Health Committee Counsel, Adira Siman, at asiman@council.nyc.gov—if you feel comfortable doing so, please cc me at renee@newyorkvsbedbugs.org.